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Hardware is also an expression used within the computer engineering industry to explicitly distinguish the (electronic computer) hardware from the software that runs on it. But hardware, within the automation and software engineering disciplines, need not simply be a computer of some sort. A modern automobile runs vastly more software than the ...
The N 2 chart or N 2 diagram (pronounced "en-two" or "en-squared") is a chart or diagram in the shape of a matrix, representing functional or physical interfaces between system elements. It is used to systematically identify, define, tabulate, design, and analyze functional and physical interfaces.
Hardware derived its name from the fact it is hard or rigid with respect to changes, whereas software is soft because it is easy to change. Hardware is typically directed by the software to execute any command or instruction. A combination of hardware and software forms a usable computing system, although other systems exist with only hardware.
For example, the C, C++, or Java standards define different programmer-visible macroarchitectures. Microcode: microcode is software that translates instructions to run on a chip. It acts like a wrapper around the hardware, presenting a preferred version of the hardware's instruction set interface.
The main concern addressed by the systems architecture is then the integration of software and hardware in a complete, correctly working device. In another common – much broader – meaning, the term applies to the architecture of any complex system which may be of a technical, sociotechnical or social nature.
A block diagram is a diagram of a system in which the principal parts or functions are represented by blocks connected by lines that show the relationships of the blocks. [1] They are heavily used in engineering in hardware design, electronic design, software design, and process flow diagrams.
A diagram showing how the user interacts with application software on a typical desktop computer.The application software layer interfaces with the operating system, which in turn communicates with the hardware.
Example of a high-level systems architecture for a computer. A system architecture is the conceptual model that defines the structure, behavior, and views of a system. [1] An architecture description is a formal description and representation of a system, organized in a way that supports reasoning about the structures and behaviors of the system.